Kelly Speaks – Page 57 – Self Publishing Advisor

Advocacy in Self-Publishing, Alternative Marketing Methods, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Promotion Strategy, Contests, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

Self-Publishing & Merchandising : Extras & Special Editions

Last week, I launched a new blog series on the ins and outs of merchandising with a quick definition. (“Simply put, merchandising is any and all practices and methods which boost product sales in a retail environment.”) And definitions are great and all, but we’re here to talk shop. To get under the skin of merchandising, to inhabit the world of successful merchandisers, we have to tackle each and every aspect of the process–in depth. This week, we’ll be taking a closer look at two of these aspects: “extras,” and special edition releases of your books.

What are “extras”?

“Extras” are anything you send out into the world related to your work that is not (quite) your book. Or at least, it’s not your book as most people know it. They’re the fiddly bits, the sweeteners, the “guess what I got this week?” element of book marketing. The no-frills approach to book sales is to put your book, and only your book, into the hands of your ideal readers. But we all know the process is more complicated than that, if we want to make profitable sales.

Identifying our ideal readers is one complicated conglomerate of issues unto itself, and connecting the dots between book and reader yet another (seemingly) hopeless tangle, and transforming the market so that more readers become ideal readers is … well, you get the picture. The creation, distribution, and controlled availability of “extras” is one highly effective way to unpick some of these knots. Why? Because they make your ideal readers feel privileged and affirmed in their good taste, while also serving as a siren call to new readers–a declaration that you, the author, are willing to go the extra mile to bring others alongside you, into the world of your book. And I’m not just talking about fictional worlds, here: every good book is a world unto itself, a universe even, that enwraps its readers in a shared sense of wonder, urgency, or belief.

“Extras” come in every possible form we can imagine, and sometimes figuring out what “extras” suit our books and our needs best is the larger task. But simply identifying them can be a challenge, too, so here is a short list of some of the more effective extras that leap to my mind:

creating swag, like bookmarks or postcards or tee-shirts, etc, to give away or raffle off at book readings and signings;
putting together a regular newsletter, physical or digital, to distribute to eager readers;
orchestrating giveaways, scavenger hunts, and other participatory contests to boost interest;
offering limited-offer “buy a physical book and unlock free digital content” sorts of specials;
publishing select chapters online for free, using interactive services such as WattPad; and
hosting quizzes, ask-and-answer sessions, or other author-centric material online using social media networks such as Tumblr.

(This is just to name a few.) As you can see, many of these “extras” fall into two loose categories: the physical fiddly bits, and the digital fiddly bits. It’s worth noting that, while focusing our talents into bundles that seem all of a kind–say, pairing a digital “extra” with an ebook release, or a physical “extra” with a physical book launch–may be an effective use of our time, it may not be the sole best way to boost our sales. Many readers who are highly engaged on social media will treasure a physical book or a physical “extra,” while many readers who hold fast to their physical libraries are ready and willing to branch out and experiment, if they’re invested in you, the author, and your vision of your world. Strategic cross-fertilization may be the best approach, so make sure you’re providing “extras” on both sides of the digital/physical divide–if possible.

Oh, right, I mentioned special editions too.

That’s right–I haven’t forgotten. The reason I save this second aspect of merchandising for after my discussion of “extras” is simple: many of the same rules apply. We’ve written about releasing special editions, whether ebook editions or other kinds of editions as a kind of promotional venture, before. We’ve even written about releasing special editions for holidays and for Kindles, respectively. The simple distillation of all of these prior posts might be to say: “The more editions we put out there, the more accessible our books, the more people who will hear of our books, and the more books we will sell.” The parallels between special editions and “extras” are fairly clear–just substitute “extras” for “editions.”

The key to successful merchandising for the self-published author is to make our readers feel special! We can make this happen with strategic bundles of “extras,” or by releasing new editions of previously published books. Both of these merchandising methods are built upon creating and distributing new access points to our works. Generating special offers that are limited in some way–in respect to time or quantity–whether on swag or giveaways or special editions–heightens the competitive edge to what we’re offering, and makes our books a topic of conversation. We want to balance ubiquity of our works–making it is available to as many people as possible–with an urgency to acquire it in certain incarnations or circumstances.

Next week, I’ll be examining merchandising through book and jacket design. I’d like to open the floor to you, dear reader. If you have any thoughts to share on the topic of merchandising, or questions you’d like answered, send them my way via the comments box below! I want to hear from you, and I love nothing more than a good excuse to do a little research if I don’t know something off of the top of my head. Jump on in!

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog, kellyschuknecht.com.

Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book, Self-Publishing

On Self-Publishing and Merchandising

You are a self-published author. Fantastic! And you’re a self-published author looking to boost your book sales through strategic self-promotion, and by diving into the ofttimes terrifying world of … merchandising. You’ve written your book, which everyone told you was the hardest part of the whole writing-and-publishing process, and you’ve plugged it into a self-publishing engine like Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, or BookSurge, or Xlibris, or Outskirts Press, or any one of a dozen other self- or hybrid publishing websites. But what comes next? For most writers, it’s not automatic instant success. For most writers, what comes next involves a lot of hard work, and finesse. Because for most writers, what comes next will involve merchandising.

So what is merchandising?

Simply put, merchandising is any and all practices and methods which boost product sales in a retail environment. Once you get used to thinking of and treating your book as a retail product–which is harder than it may seem, in personal experience–the process of selling and marketing your book becomes infinitely easier. Why is this? Since books are more than just a piece of wood pulp and ink–because books are ideas and stories and occasionally, magnificent works of art–we understandably think about them as these things, these intangible things. And it can seem, well, rather low-brow to treat an idea the same way that I treat a sandal or a bottle of shampoo. Low-brow, and possibly even vulgar. But the fact of the matter is, we want our books to sell, not just to sit all neat and pretty on our own private bookshelves awaiting discovery after we pass on. We want–no, need–our books to sell for all sorts of reasons: the dissemination of ideas, the collection of profits, and so on. We need to sell our books, and merchandising helps sell books.

Unfortunately, self-published authors often find themselves daunted by the notion of self-promotion via merchandising. Authors who survive the knuckle-bruising process of traditional publication have an entire company to help them navigate merchandising, if not take it on entirely. Self-published authors face the same fears, the same doubts, the same tangle of fine print–only, without the clout and muscle and well-fleshed-out personnel of a publishing firm at their back. And it’s virtually impossible to know where to begin. Do you begin with mugs and notepads and tee shirts? Do you begin with book design or haggling with local retailers? You may not have a publishing firm’s PR department on hand, but you do have us. (Not to mention, your legions of fans.) You have us, your loyal digital cheer squad and sounding board for ideas. We’re here to help.

Over the coming weeks, I’m going to unwind a few key strategies for merchandising success, specifically in regards to self-published authors seeking entry into the world of merchandising that the privileged traditionally-published author never has to think twice about. A few of these strategies will include:

Extras & special edition releases
Book & jacket design
Blurbs, reviews, and blog reviews
Dealing with Amazon, CreateSpace, and others
(And yes, we’ll deal with mugs and notepads and tee shirts, too.)

Suffice it to say, this is a big topic. Epically, profoundly, unmentionably big. (Which is exactly why we’re here, reading this blog, isn’t it?) It will take us a while to step through all of the angles, so plan on checking this space every Wednesday morning as we dive in!

I’m realistic, or I like to think I am. This topic is bigger than just me and my own thoughts. I’d like to open the floor to you, dear reader. If you have any thoughts to share on the topic of merchandising, or questions you’d like answered, send them my way via the comments box below! I want to hear from you, and I love nothing more than a good excuse to do a little research if I don’t know something off of the top of my head. Jump on in!

Advocacy in Self-Publishing, Book Marketing, Book Promotion, Book Promotion Strategy, Kelly Speaks, Marketing Your Self-Published Book

Diversity & Self-Publishing (summary edition)

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been digging into the particulars of diversity and how it is, or is not, or could be better represented in the publishing industry–that is, in both traditional publishing and in self-publishing. But you’re here reading this blog, which means you’re either a self-published author, or interested in self-publishing, and that means the stakes are higher in this matter, that you have an incredibly unique place in the argument. I’ve already written a little bit about how the track record for self-publishing is somewhat more diverse than it is in traditional publishing, and why. Authors and readers like you have already brought about change. You are the change.

That’s right, you are the change. (This bears repeating, I think.) Without you and your investment in bringing about a better, more diverse world of words, we would not have authors like the aforementioned CJ Lyons, Orna Ross, Lara Nance, HM Ward, Kailin Gow, Margarita Matos, Abdul Qayum Safi, Lozetta Hayden, Manuela Pentagelo, Tejas Desai, Aleysha Proctor, Mary Sisney, Liz Castro, Nadeem Aslam, Johnny Townsend, and Qasim Rashi. We would not have created a niche market that has blossomed into a fully-fledged mainstream market, and we would not have opened the doors in traditional publishing by exerting pressure from the indie sector … without you.

So how does this relate to self-promotion? Well, that’s a good question. There’s all manner of potential ways in which we could layer further exploitation and abuse on minorities and under-represented groups by trying to turn diversity into a promotional gimmick. You definitely don’t want to find yourself on the other side of the gimmick line, dear readers. No buts, howevers, or addendums allowed. The connection between diversity in self-publishing and a solid foundation for self-promotion is this: honesty. Yes, honesty. In your marketing, as in all other things related to your book(s), you should and must be honest. Are you an author of diverse heritage, or identity? Awesome. Get that out there. Are you an author who comes from outside the “diversity sector” but who wants to uphold the vision, beliefs, and self-realization of those who do? Awesome. Get that out there.

Author Beth Revis, who self-published her latest Young Adult novel (The Body Electric) writes eloquently on the role and nature of such allies in the world of words. “Representation is important,” she writes. “At its most basic level it says: I see you. And in this world of bright lights and hollow dreams, of statistics and caricatures that turn people invisible, that is important.” Read the rest of Revis’s blog, and you’ll see that there is a place for the ally–even though it is vital we recognize that saying we support something isn’t the same as actually making it possible. It’s equally vital that we not put ourselves up on pedestals as allies, when we’re often not the ones who have borne or are bearing the brunt of marginalization.

Perhaps the best thing we can do, both as self-published authors and as authors working on self-promotion, is to make room in our lives and works for the conversation about diversity. It’s really taken off on certain platforms (most notably, the social networking websites, such as Tumblr and Twitter), but it hasn’t yet reached critical mass. The more we make ourselves at home with diversity as a topic, the more footholds diversity has to make visible the invisible.

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If you’re looking for my earlier posts on diversity & self-publishing, see:

And check back next week on Wednesday as I launch a new series on the merits of merchandising for self-published authors interested in self-promotion!

Kelly Speaks, Self-Publishing Week in Review

Self-Publishing Week in Review: 03/24/15

As a self-publishing author, you may find it helpful to stay up-to-date on the trends and news related to the self-publishing industry. This will help you make informed decisions before, during and after the self-publishing process, which will lead to a greater self-publishing experience. To help you stay current on self-publishing topics, simply visit our blog every Tuesday to find out the hottest news.

High School Teachers Guide Students Into Self-Publishing

In some high school classes, teens are becoming published authors through self-publishing projects. Students are producing poems, short stories and nonfiction works in class with self-publishing tools. This is an interesting read for writers, teachers, and parents.

Facebook Ads: A Guide for Indie Authors

By targeting ads to specific users on Facebook, indie authors can market their books and build their readerships. This article is a must read for authors considering Facebook ads.

Smart Indie Authors Connect at Writers’ Conferences

There is little question that writers’ conferences can provide a big boost for an indie author’s career. This article discusses the benefits of writers’ conferences and how to find them.

If you have other big news to share, please comment below.

ABOUT KELLY SCHUKNECHT: Kelly Schuknecht is the Executive Vice President of Outskirts Press. In addition to her contributions to the Outskirts Press blog at blog.outskirtspress.com, Kelly and a group of talented marketing experts offer book marketing services, support, and products to not only published Outskirts Press authors, but to all authors and professionals who are interested in marketing their books and/or careers. Learn more about Kelly on her blog at http://kellyschuknecht.com.

Advocacy in Self-Publishing, Book Promotion, Choosing a Publisher, Kelly Speaks

Diversity & Self-Publishing (ep. 5)

On this most auspicious of post-St. Patrick’s-Days, we will answer the last two questions in a series of questions (and blog posts) on the role (past, present, and future) of diversity in publishing, and particularly in self-publishing. If you missed any of the blogs in this series, you can find them here, here, here, and here.

The first of our remaining two questions may seem deceptively simple:

Should we make diversity happen?

But I should like to protest against any intimations of straightforwardness. There are very few people in this world, I think, who would openly declare “No!” in answer to such a question, but there are a great many–perhaps even the majority of our regular authors and readers–who do unconsciously, or subconsciously, respond in the negative. How is this so? It is so because recognizing a need, then stepping out and actively contributing to positive change and forward momentum, is incredibly difficult. What is that quote we attribute to Edmund Burke? “All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” Anything–any inaction–that allows an unjust or under-representative system to continue is a silent, but extremely resounding, “no.” Whenever we come up against the status quo, creating change is going to take more than a little goodwill, or even a great deal of goodwill. It takes vision, energy, resources, and endurance. Perhaps the question we need to ask isn’t “Should we make diversity happen?” but rather, “Why aren’t we doing this already, and how can we make good on what we already know to be the right thing to do?”

Having determined that encouraging diversity in the world of books is a good thing, our next question necessarily follows:

How can we better foster a self-publishing community that welcomes diverse authors and readers?

I think we need to take a long and honest look at the systems we trust to install agents, editors, book buyers, illustrators, executives, and even CEOs. This holds true for other industries apart from the world of books, of course, but when talking about the life of the mind and the imagination, we need to be especially aware of the insidious influences of a stagnating infrastructure. In essence, we need to reevaluate what we’re already doing, and jettison the injustices actually built into publishing DNA. We need to be honest with ourselves and with others about who holds power over who gets published, and who gets the resources to self-publish. There are subtler, even more sinister workings behind-the-scenes that we need to reevaluate, too, such as the tendency to grandfather in unspoken assumptions and expectations when it comes to what the industry sees as risky, or the “right fit.” If we use patterns of the past to justify the future, we had better make sure those patterns include a rich texture of voices and stories and authors.

The playing field is slightly more level in the world of self-publishing because diverse authors should not, in theory, be facing the same editorial and agent-related hurdles that a traditionally published author is. But we need to be honest, here, too, since self-publishing companies are made up of people and packages that may, by dint of being human, possess biases or flaws in reasoning. Many of these companies are small in terms of staff, so they may or may not have the option of setting up an ethics and diversity committee, but it is worth every company’s while to make sure they are actively promoting diversity in both the workplace and in the products and services they offer. If you are an author seeking self-publication, it never hurts to ask if such a committee exists, or whether the company you’re working with has any strategies in place.

So, if self-publishing were a kind of building, I’ve taken a quick survey of its architecture from the top down–from its executives to its staff to its authors. But there’s another key component I haven’t mentioned yet: the market. That means you, dear reader. If you read books, you’re driving the market. Every book bought and sold shifts the flow of money toward or away from various authors and industries. If you want to see diversity in the world of books as much as I do, then there’s no better way to effectively contribute to that change than by putting your money to good work. Buy self-published books by diverse authors, and you’ll see more diverse authors publishing. It’s as simple as that. Or rather, it may not be the only avenue through which you can create change, but it’s a simple and practical one that will see important and long-term effects. That’s the kind of action I can get behind!

And that’s all the space I have for the week. I know that these ruminations of mine barely barely scratch the surface of these questions, much less the conversation as a whole. Over the next week, as I attempt to pull together a coherent summary of my responses to the questions I posed four weeks ago (and what all of this has to do with self-promotion), please drop me a line in the comments section below with your own thoughts or suggestions! And of course, check back next week as we delve into still more of the self-publishing world!

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